Building block or tile



y 1930- I H. H.- NIEMANN 1,758,757

BUILDING BLOCK OR TILE Filed Jan. 6, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l y 3, 1930. H. H. NIEMANN 1,758,757

BUILDING BLOCK 0R TILE Patented May 13, 1930 UNITED STATES HENRY H. NIEMANN, OF MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA BUILDING BLOCK OR TILE Application filed January 6, 1928.

This invention relates to building blocks or tiles, and has for one of its objects to provide articles of this character from which walls may be built to full or any desired p height without the use of mortar during their erection, whereby to avoid the delay now caused in building operations by such adverse weather conditions as will not admit of the use of mortar.

A further object of the invention is to provide building blocks or tiles of the character stated which, when assembled in wall formation without the use of mortar, will each have three bearing points so relatively arranged as to prevent the blocks or tiles from rocking or changing their stability under the influence of external or internal stresses caused from unequal loading, shrinkage,

warping, temperature expansion, settlement as and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide building blocks or tiles of the character stated which shall be adapted to establish such an interlocking connection between 25 their courses as to give the walls the required wind and lateral pressure resistance.

A further object of the invention is to.

provide building blocks or tiles of the character stated from which corn cribs, seasongc ing sheds, dwelling foundations and the like may be built without the use of mortar and of a construction which, while preventing the passage of water, will provide for the free circulation of air therethrough.

A further object of the invention is to provide building blocks or tiles of the character stated from which walls may be successfully built by workmen inexperienced in the use of mortar.

A still further object of the invention is to provide building blocks or tiles of the character stated which may be compactly assembled or nested so as to permit a large number of them to be stored or transported in a comparatively small space and so asto prevent them from being broken while instorage or during transportation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the nature of which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists Serial No. 244,957.

in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of fragmentary portions of three walls of a building constructed from the blocks or tiles,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on a plane extending vertically through the lower portion of one of the walls, illustrating the manner in which the wall may be provided with a ventilated foundation and the manner in which the floor oists are supported,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on a plane extending vertically and centrally through another 'portion of the wall illustrating the manner in which the window frames are secured in place,

Figure a is a sectional View taken through the top portion of the wall illustrating the manner in which it may be provided with a belt course, cornice and coping,

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view also illustrating the manner in which the windows are secured in place,

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken onthe vertical plane indicated by theline 6-6 of Figure 1,

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the wall blocks or tiles, and

Figure 8 is a perspective View of two of the base orstarter blocksor tiles.

The blocks or tiles are to be made in such form as to provide base or starter units, wall units, cornice units, coping units, belt course at units, window sill units, and trimming units.

The base or starter units 1 are of L-form in vertical section.- Their bottom or horizontal flanges 2 are bonded to the footing 3, as shown at l, and their inner or vertical flanges 5 are provided at their upper edges with upstandinglugs 6 which are located at the ends of the units.

The wall units 7 are of substantially Z- form in: vertical section, and have interiorvertical flanges'S, exterior vertical flanges 9 and horizontal tie webs 10, the interior flanges extending above and the exterior flanges extending below the webs, The interior flanges 8 are provided at their upper edges with upstanding lugs 11, and the exterior flanges 9 are provided at their lower edges with depending lugs 12, the lugs being located at the ends of the units.

The belt course units 13 are similar in vertical section to the wall units 7, 14 designating their upwardly extending interior flanges, 15 their downwardly extending exterior flanges and 16 their tie Webs. The upper edge of the interior flange 14 and the lower edge of the exterior flange 15 are provided with lugs 17 which are similar to the lugs 11 and 12 and are arranged at the ends of the units.

The cornice units 18 are similar in cros section to the wall units 7 and belt course units 13. The interior vertical flanges, exterior vertical flanges and tie webs of these units are designated 19, and 21. The interior flanges 19 extend upwardly and the exterior flanges 20 extend downwardly from the time webs 21, and said flanges are provided at their upper and lower edges, respectively, with lugs, not shown, which are similar to the lugs 11, 12 and 17 The coping units 22 are of inverted L-form in vertical section. Their vertical flanges 23 are provided at their lower edges with lugs, not shown, which are similar to the lugs 11, 12 and 17 and their horizontal flanges 24 have downwardly and inwardly inclined up per surfaces and are provided at their inner edges with drip projections 25.

The window sill units 26 are of inverted L-form in vertical section, and their vertical flanges 28 are provided with lugs not shown, similar to the lugs 11, 12 and 17. These units may be formed with or without drip pro ections 29 located beyond the face of the walls, and their horizontal members 30 may be provided with downwardly and outwardly inv clined or level upper surfaces. The window jamb units 31 are similar to the wall units 7 with the exception that their exterior flanges 32 are extended longitudinally beyond their tie webs 33 and interior flanges 34 to provide jamb forming projections 35. The lintel units 36 comprise solid body portions 37 reinforced by rods 38, upwardly extending interior flanges 39, and downwardly extending exterior ribs 40. The flanges 39 are provided at their upper edges with upstanding lugs 49 similar to the lugs 11, 12 and 17 and located at the ends of the lintels.

The floor joists 41 are supported from the tie webs 10 of certain of the wall units 7, and to permit the joists to be positioned upon the tie webs the interior flanges 8 of such units are provided with vertical recesses 42.

'= Anchor spikes 43 are carried by the joists 41 and contact with the inner sides of the slotted interior flanges 8.

The corner units 44 are provided with interior flanges 45 which are shorter than their exterior vertical flanges 46 and their tie webs 47 The interior flanges 45 extend upwardly and the exterior flanges 46 extend downward ly from the tie webs 47, and the interior flanges are provided at their inner corners with upstanding lugs 48 which are similar to the lugs 6, 11 and 12. These units are also provided with vertical outer end flanges 49 which extend inwardly from the exterior flanges 46 and downwardly from the tie webs 47 and they are provided at their outer lower 1 corners with downwardly extending lugs 50 similar to the lugs 6, l1 and 12.

The cap units 51 are of inverted L-form in vertical section, and comprise inwardly extending top flanges 52 and downwardly extical members of the next lower course, and

with the lugs of the exterior and downwardly extending vertical members of said first course resting upon the horizontal members of the next lower course. The units are arranged in break joint relation. Each unit of I a course is supported by its own lugs and a pair of the lugs of the units of the next higher course. The lugs of the next higher course being located above and centrally between the lugs of the units so as to provide a three point or tri-pod support for the units. The construction of the units and the manner in which they are assembled permits a wall to be built to its full or any desired height without the use of mortar, and the manner in which the units of one course are supported by the units of the next lower course provide a wall of exceptional stability even when built without the use of mortar. The openings 55 provided between the units of the respective courses by the lugs provide, when mortar is not used, for the circulation of air through the wall, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 2, and due thereto ventilated foundations, corn cribs, seasoning sheds and the like may be formed from the units. After the wall is built all joints may-be filled by pointing, as shown at 56, or bv applying stucco to the exterior and plastering 57 to the interior of the wall. The openings 55 in the outer face of i the walls are located below those in the inner faces so as to prevent the passage of waterthrough the openings. A light weight non-bearing partition may be formed from the blocks or tiles, as suggested in Figure 6.

It should be understood that the drawings are merely illustrative and do not pretend to give exact proportions. Furthermore, the said drawings are illustrative of a preferred construction, it being my expectation that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What is claimed is A building block or tile comprising an in terior vertical flange, an exterior vertical flange and an intervening horizontal tie web adapted to extend transversely of the wall, the interior flange extending upwardly from the tie web and the exterior flange extending downwardly from the tie web, and the flanges being provided at the ends of their free horizontal edges with relatively spaced lugs.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

HENRY H. NIEMANN. 

